Tuesday, January 4, 2011

03.01.2011, Cabinet Meet

BANGALORE: Gas connectivity to your kitchen through pipelines is closer to reality. The state cabinet on Monday gave approval to pipeline connection from Dabhol in Maharashtra to Bangalore.

A joint venture (JV) company involving Karnataka State Industrial Investment Development Corporation (KSIIDC) and Gas Authority of India Ltd ( GIAL) will be formed to distribute gas in Bangalore.

Initial investment has been pegged at Rs 100 crore, where KSIIDC will invest 24%, GAIL 26% and the rest by private companies. "Distribution is likely to start from June 2012,'' higher education minister V S Acharya said.

GAIL has taken up the Dabhol-Bangalore 16 million metric standard cubic meter per day ( MMSCMD) gas pipeline passing through Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag, Bellary, Davanagere, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Ramanagaram, Bangalore Rural and Bangalore Urban, at an estimated investment of Rs 5,000 crore.

In addition, gas supply to Karnataka will be augmented by another pipeline being laid by GAIL through Kochi-Koottanad-Mangalore-Bangalore city, with estimated investment of Rs 3,300 crore. Further, the Krishna-Godavari line promoted by Reliance is also in the pipeline.

Slums to go vertical
Space-strapped Bangalore will see slums going vertical in future. The cabinet has approved the slum redevelopment scheme - to construct multi-storeyed buildings for slum dwellers.

This means, 28,118 dwelling units will be built in 152 slums which will benefit 1,40,590 people. The parliamentary standing committee on urban development had recommended that slums go vertical so that more number of people can be accommodated in less space.

Of the projects approved under JNNURM scheme, 17.60% is reserved for basic services to the urban poor.

Once multi-storeyed buildings are built, the government will give 15-year occupancy right to beneficiaries and later it'll be converted to absolute ownership. (TOI)

State to students: Get cash, buy a cycle

Jan. 3: Facing a series of allegations over corruption in the purchase of bicycles for distribution among school children, the state government on Monday decided to emulate Bihar which has started giving the beneficiaries money to purchase cycles on their own.

Speaking to the media after a Cabinet meeting, higher education minister Dr V.S. Acharya said that with the Opposition demanding a probe into the alleged scam, the state government could not take a final decision on floating tenders for the bicycle supply scheme. “As the academic year is coming to an end, it’s too late to call for tenders or purchase cycles and distribute them. Hence, the state government has decided to award `2,250 to every beneficiary so that they can purchase cycles by themselves,” he explained.

Replying to a question, Dr Acharya said the government will disburse `133 crore to the beneficiaries by opening zero balance accounts in all banks in their names. This is to make sure that parents do not utilise the money for some other purpose, he explained.

In response to a question, Dr Acharya asserted that the state government was not doing anything unusual by releasing money to zero balance accounts as this was an accepted norm in most government welfare schemes. “Even in Bihar where cycles are being given to school students, money is being transferred to the beneficiary’s account instead of purchasing cycles and distributing them,” he said.

He said this was a one-time measure which had been adopted due to lack of time. Cycles will be purchased and distributed from the next academic year, he added. (Deccan Chronicle)

Draft Bill of Mulgeni Rights

The state administration has prepared a draft of Mulgeni Rights Bill in order to address several years of grievances by Mulgeni right owners and tenants in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. The draft of Bill was approved in the cabinet meeting held here on Monday January 3, while it will be tabled in the assembly shortly. Addressing the media persons after the cabinet meeting, state higher education minister Dr V S Acharya said that the draft bill likely to be approved in the assembly, will entitle the tenants to get substantial amount of compensation, which will be 500 or 1000 times of the geni to the muladars. Mulgeni Rights were revoked after the enforcement of Karnataka Land Tribunal Act, which caused major hindrances to both Mulgeni right owners and tenants. The bill was drafted in order to resolve the long pending issue.


Photo Courtesy: Kanwar Singh

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